


Against Fate

by hollie443



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chance Meetings, F/M, Fate, Fate & Destiny, Forbidden Love, Journalist AU, musician au, musician/journalist au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21864664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollie443/pseuds/hollie443
Summary: Rey is just a girl who was finishing her Masters in Paris. But when she meets Ben; a brown eyed, tattooed American boy, she knows fate is ready to deal her a hand she wasn’t prepared for. But fate is also ready to take it all away again. Rey has to make the choice if she's willing to let it go or if she’ll fight against what may have already been set in motion.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 28
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Jayyy voudrayyy… uh… shit. Je voudrais… a… um… lighter?”_

Date: November 2015

Rey groaned as she stepped out into the afternoon sun. It may not have been very warm in Paris in November but it didn’t make the sun any less lethal. The Christmas break was approaching and she had been grinding to finish the final part of her assignment due the first week in December. She was pretty much finished but Rey was, in every sense of the word, a perfectionist and it showed since she was sitting in a cafe on a Sunday stressing over not only her Masters, but her Ph.D applications too. 

“Study your Masters abroad, they said. It’ll be an experience, they said,” the brunette muttered to herself as she whipped out her pack of cigarettes from her bag, bringing one to her lips. 

Smoking had been a relatively recent occurrence for the twenty-two year old. She could practically pinpoint it to the date and time when she first put one of them to her lips. Yup, final year at NYU; about to hand in her dissertation when she realised there was a typo on the cover page… definitely it. Luckily that didn’t stop her from graduating top of her class with a clear acceptance into Université PSL, Paris; ranked 50th in the world. 

After another few moments in thought, Rey took out her lighter and lit her cigarette that was still sitting in her mouth, demanding her attention. She took a long drag of the stick before shoving the lighter back into the pocket of her jeans. It took mere moments for the feeling of the smoke filling her lungs to calm her down slightly, enough at least so she would be able to continue on with the redraft of her paper. She glanced back into the cafe to make sure everything was as she left it before she let her eyes drift closed as she took in the sounds of the city. Paris in November was lovely, she had found. Far less tourists to annoy the student and temperature that reminded her of her beloved New York. Of course the weather there could be scorching but the Fall was her favourite; and this matched up perfectly. 

She inhaled her cigarette another time, keen to enjoy it as long as possible, when a disturbance headed her way. 

“Uh… bon- jooor?” A male voice broke through her concentration, making her lips twitch as they threatened a smile at the poor French she heard from what she presumed was an American. Despite being from England, her mother was from France; therefore Rey was fluent.

She cracked her eyes open to cast a glance at the stranger who addressed her, all the while, mischief glinted in her eye. 

“Oui? Puis-je aider?” she asked him, finally taking in the man’s appearance. He was bordering on ridiculously tall: inches above six foot, which was a damned miracle in Paris, she had discovered. Even her 5’ 6 frame wasn’t small enough for her sometimes. Her attention returned to the man and noted his handsome face; his bone structure was wonderful with high cheekbones and a jawline that could probably cut glass. He definitely didn’t belong here; if he did, she would stay in France the rest of her life if they offered up men who looked like him. Her own joke nearly made her giggle but she managed to contain it, just as she heard his answer. 

“Jayyy voudrayyy… uh… shit. Je voudrais… a… um… lighter?” Yup, his French was abysmal and it took everything in Rey’s power not to start to laugh. But the fact he was even trying enough for her to stay reserved. She wondered if he would start to mime to her what he needed, depended on how desperate he was for a smoke, she supposed. Right on cue, the man brought his hand up and performed an exaggerated movement of lighting a cigarette in the air. It was enough for her to put him out of his misery. 

“French is definitely not your forte, I worried you were going to give yourself a stroke for a minute,” she chuckled as she pulled out her own lighter and held it out to him, all the while he wore a dumbfounded expression on his face. 

“Mother Fucker… do you take pleasure in watching men die inside?” he enquired as he took the offered object, which only incited a giggle from her. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Not everyday you meet an American man so desperate for a cigarette he’d resort to using French.” She chuckled then, bringing sucking in another serving of smoke and flicking it out in the ashtray provided. 

“Not everyday you meet an English girl in France, with perfect french, and a penchant embarrassing a man who almost begged in a language he doesn’t know,” came the retort. Rey bowed her head a little to give her a moment to compose herself. She didn’t want the handsome stranger to take her reactions to heart. In a way it was strange to speak to someone who spoke English as their mother tongue. A lot of jokes were lost on people here. 

“Ah... my mother’s French so I have a  _ get out of jail free _ card on that.” 

“That why you’re here?” The enquiry caught Rey off guard; she wasn’t sure why since it was hardly like he seemed closed off. Perhaps it was more to do with the fact that she was used to the French air of indifference, especially when it came to men. 

“No, I’m doing my Masters here.” She watched as her answer caused his eyebrows to shoot up towards his hairline. At least, that’s what it  _ looked _ like since she could barely see that far. 

“Beauty and brains…” A snort came from her mouth. She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d get one of those lines on there. Though there was a giddy feeling in her stomach when he referred to her as a beauty. 

_ Pull it together Rey _ , she scolded herself. 

“Okay here was me thinking I’d escape the French  _ romantic  _ pick up lines by talking to you…” She jokingly chastised him, snickering away to herself. 

“An eye for an eye; you made me cringe now it’s your turn.”  _ Ohh,  _ he was good. And she had no real answer to that. 

“Touché.”

“So… where are you from?” Content with his victory, Ben immediately moved on to a new line of questioning. He was a talker and he was good at keeping the topic of the conversation on finding out more about her.  _ Too good _ in fact. 

“Well I’m from London originally but I’m an Eastern girl at heart; I lived in New York for fifteen years,” she replies simply. 

“Where?!” The abrupt response made Rey almost choke on the smoke she had been inhaling. 

“New York City.”

“No fucking way! NYC born and raised.” His eyes, which were ridiculously blue, widened even more. Like he had just solved one of life’s great mysteries though, in fairness to him, the idea that two people from New York just met in  _ Paris _ of places was crazy. 

“You’re shitting me! Small world huh?” Rey let out a laugh of disbelief and shook her head. It was hard to process since the men she usually met in her adopted hometown didn’t quite look like him. Not by a long shot. Probably down to the fact she never really looked in the proper places. 

“Yeah… so, you got a name? Or should I call you New York Girl?” His question came with a smirk, one that she enjoyed too much. She had no real defence except she was used to the French men who were nothing like him. 

“Though New York Girl would be amusing; it’s Rey. You?” She chuckled as she looked up at him, waiting for an answer. 

“You… you don’t know?” His question wasn’t one of annoyance or expectation; it was more of curiosity. It made her wonder what she was missing in all of this. 

“Um… no? I don’t have a crystal ball,” she joked with him, running her free hand through her hair out of slight awkwardness. 

“Oh… it’s K-... uh… Ben.” He held his hand out to her after he almost stuttered over his name. 

“Okay  _ uh- Ben _ , you got any plans? This cafe is pretty damn good if you feel like a coffee.” The offer was out before she could really think but she was aware that her cigarette was down to the filter, which meant she would have to go inside lest she make it seem as though she just wanted to just talk. She shook his hand after the offer, not wanting another cringe moment again.

“I do have to be somewhere later but a coffee right now would be awesome!” He shot her the biggest grin as he stubbed out his own cigarette, waiting on her to lead the way. In response, Rey dropped her own into the ashtray. 

“Come on then… oh, and let me do the ordering; this place is considering bringing back the guillotine for people with French as bad as yours,” she teased him, throwing a smirk over her shoulder as she pushed the door to the cafe open.

“Oh ha- fucking- ha.” His retort brought out a giggle from her as they made their way across the room to the table she had been occupying since opening. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this piece of writing was originally from another fandom and I felt it just suited Reylo so much more. So I hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You should try to see some of the sights before you leave.”_  
> 

Rey held the door for Ben, who followed her through and instinctively ducked his head under the door frame. The action got a look from her since she realised he was tall but also knew he wasn’t  _ that  _ tall. In response to her look he shot her lopsided grin, rubbing the back of his head. 

“I know, I know… but a lot of doors in Europe aren’t made for me… I’ve almost knocked myself out more than once when I wasn’t paying attention,” he explained to her as he brought a hand up to the side of his head, as though the memory triggered a pain. She could understand this sort of wariness. Once she smacked her head off a low,  _ very low _ , hanging light in her apartment and she never looked at it the same way again.

“Yeah well you know you were never supposed to climb down from the beanstalk.” she teased both him and his long limbs.

“Hey! I’m beginning to think this coffee is a terrible idea if you’re going to be constantly giving me shit about things outwith my control!”. Had there been no lightness in his tone or the fact his voice held laughter in it, she would have apologised immediately. But he seemed to be finding her jokes amusing. Little did he know a lot of this was a defence mechanism for the fact an extremely tall, good looking American had appeared when she least expected it. And  _ now _ , she was about to have coffee with him. There was no way someone up above wasn’t laughing at her right now. 

“Sorry sorry, I promise no more jokes about giants, your terrible French, or both of those combined for the foreseeable future,” she crossed her heart as she stood from where they appeared to have stopped in the middle of the cafe.

“I’m going to require this in writing and if you add your number at the bottom I’ll let one joke slide.” Oh, he was at the top of his game when it came to the shameless flirting but it just made Rey groan again. 

“Don’t make me regret giving you the lighter, dear God.” 

“Still didn’t say no.” 

“Dream on.” The response may have been short but there was no real annoyance present. If anything she was happy to meet someone who spoke the same mother tongue as her, and actually had a sense of humour she appreciated. The fact this man looked the way he did was simply an added bonus. She turned again and actually made it to the table.

Despite it being a four person booth, it was strewn with papers and books she had been using. Her well loved laptop, decorated with various stickers, was still open. She quickly set about gathering up the materials and she closed her laptop, placing everything into her bag. As she did, she tried to ignore the twinge of guilt she felt in her stomach at the fact she was putting her materials away. Rey was very aware of Ben as he sat there, watching her every move but he remained silent, following her movements. She focused on what she was doing and tried not to feel self conscious.

It was only a short moment later she was sat in front of him, waving the waitress over. She checked with him what he wanted before ordering; an Americano for him and a latte, her third of the day, for herself. 

“I’m beginning to think I could listen to you talking all day.” Ben spoke up first as the waitress walked away, tossing a glance over her shoulder to get a better look at him. She didn’t blame her at all. 

“It’s the language, not me. It’s the language of love after all.” Rey shook her head, her eyes still averted his gaze as she continued to get her notes into a more acceptable order. She was deliberately taking a little longer in order to collect her thoughts again. In more ways than one, she felt as though she was sweeping her brain into her bag instead. 

“Oh I’m realising that… it’s just prettier hearing it from you.” Ben smirked at her when she finally brought her head up to meet his gaze. She was willing her face not to blossom into blush and give any of her developing feelings away. 

“Have you been watching Disney movies or something? These lines are golden,” she snickered as she looked at him, all the while  _ Smooth Criminal  _ was playing in her head. 

“No!... Actually yeah, my daughter loves that shit…” There was a gleeful expression on his face when he switched to talking about his newly mentioned daughter. Rey sat there wondering if she had heard correctly. 

“Your daughter?” She tried the words aloud on her tongue, asking it as a question in the hopes of getting a little more information. Dear God, she was praying he wasn’t one of those men who had a family at home while he was out on the search for a  _ better model _ . It was a vibe she didn’t get from him, when she thought about it. 

“Yeah… she’s seven and the coolest mother fucking seven year old on the planet.” The grin crossing over his face was contagious enough to make her smile with him. The delight he had at being able to talk about her was clear to see as she sat opposite him.

“She sounds like a badass! So, if she’s seven- ,” she trailed off then, doing some mental math as she tried to work out how old he was now, never mind seven years ago. 

"I'm twenty-five. She was born when I was eighteen… her mama and I haven't been together since before Padmé was born." At his explanation, Rey nodded as she took in the information. He was only a little older than her; three years. 

"Oh… you don't have to explain yourself to me… I'm bad at math so…" The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was prying into his life. They hardly knew each other and it was strange to share things like this. But, it felt like the were friends who had known each other for years and were meeting to catch up. They weren’t, far from it and she knew only trouble was going to come from this. 

"Nah, I get it,” a soft smile crossed his face. 

“Padmé is a beautiful name,” she commented with a quiet voice, a smile resting on her features. 

“Thanks… she’s named after my grandmother.”

Rey met his dark eyes again as he gave her the small tidbit of information. She knew he didn’t have to give her anything personal and yet, he was very much showing how open he was willing to be with her. 

"Okay… so… what do you do Ben? I'm sure Padmé has something fun to talk about in school if you're here in Paris,” Rey enquired, deciding to steer the conversation back to safer ground. 

"You… really don't know." There is was again; the sense of wonder in his voice when it really hit home she knew absolutely nothing about who the man in front of her was.

"No… I'm beginning to think I should though. I haven't offended you, have I?” The question came with a sense of apprehension since she wasn’t sure if she had insulted him, knowing some people in the public eye could get like that. 

"Nope, it's actually pretty fucking awesome,” Ben admitted to her, another one of those contagious grins crossed his face.  _ Goddamnit, he was cute. _

"Oh?" 

"Yeah it means you get to know who  _ I  _ am and not anything attached to me." The explanation from him was enough for her, she offered him a smile and made the internal decision of not actively finding out who he is; she wanted to get to know whoever the man was behind the name. 

“Now I’m  _ really _ thinking I’ve been living under a rock; you sound like you’re a big deal  _ and  _ you’re from New York? I really should have an idea who you are.” Rey laughed incredulously at this entire notion. Her friends back home, who were far more up to date than she was, would probably slap her when she told them about this. 

“Maybe you have been but I’ll leave an air of mystery about it.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her but she didn’t protest since she knew it wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead she pursed her lips, trying to mask the fact she was going to laugh and make it seem like she was annoyed.  _ Failed attempt, _ she knew already. 

“Riiight. Wait, you still didn’t answer my question; what do you do?” This time she was determined to get an answer from him. 

“I’m a… musician but I sometimes do movies, I’m on tour right now which is why I’m here,” he finally gave an answer but it did little to help Rey recognise him. Maybe it was a good thing. Like he said: there was an air of mystery and she felt it was good right now. 

“Damn, here I was thinking you were just here to woo me.” The joke came out of Rey’s mouth before she had time to process what she was saying. She could feel the blush dusting her cheeks. 

“Not quite Princess, sorry to disappoint,” he murmured, lower than she had been expecting. Her eyes moved to his hand as it reached out towards her ever so slowly. Her heart rate picked up double time, only for whatever action he planned to be thwarted by the waitress to come over with their coffees. His hand dropped to the table and they both sit back in a motion they didn’t realise they needed to do. 

Ben pulled his leather jacket from his body and placed on the empty place next to him. Rey almost had to slouch down in her chair as she processed the image in front of her. His short sleeved T-shirt revealed he was decorated with numerous tattoos. Or, at least, his arms were but, she surmised the rest of him also had the same treatment. He didn’t appear to have any on his hands or neck, save for a small emblem she couldn’t quite make out behind his ear. He had bad boy written all over him.

“Uh.. um… thanks for telling me about your daughter, I would have thought you would have been more private about her since we just met.” Once again Rey made a tragic attempt to steer the conversation in another direction, only to increase the awkwardness. 

“I think I can trust you.” Ben’s tone was nothing short of certain. He made it even more apparent when calmly leaned one of his arms on the table while taking a sip of his coffee. All the while he was wearing a half smile on his lightly stubbled face. 

“How so?” The question probably could have been viewed as abrupt by some, but her desire for an answer was enough for her to disregard the thought, angling herself forward a little more. 

“You- you’re not like any girl I’ve met; you’re easy to trust.” But the reason wasn’t something she was prepared for and it look everything in Rey not let her jaw fall slack. His face was the perfect depiction of honesty; no smirk or chuckle that would imply he was messing with her. 

“That’s a good thing? I think you might have met a lot of girls to compare.” The snort that left her lips was involuntary and she was ready to reprimand him for what she had assumed was a chat up line, regardless of how serious he looked. But a part of her believed he was sincere. 

“It’s a very good thing,” he murmured as he leaned forward slightly again, making Rey mirror the movement. Her coffee was long forgotten as she sat there, looking right into the warm brown hues staring back at her. 

A few moments followed where they both sat in silence, almost afraid to look away from each other but also afraid to speak. They had barely known each other for half an hour and yet, Rey felt as though she had known him for all of her life. There was something to be said about feeling comfortable enough around someone you could talk about anything. Ben had spoken about his daughter while she gave him an insight into her life. It was a conversation between people who knew each other, not the total strangers they were.

Rey suddenly was overcome with the feeling she didn’t want to have to part ways with the handsome stranger… Ben; she wanted to spend longer talking away the day here, away from the world outside. Away from reality. 

“So, have you managed to see any of Paris?” She asked him suddenly, pulling back slightly, feeling herself being sucked into his aura. 

“No, I literally just left my hotel to walk… then ran into you,” he chuckled like he couldn’t believe he was actually was in this situation. Neither could she if she was honest with herself.

“You should try to see _some_ of the sights before you leave.” Rey’s voice almost sounded like a protest; she had visited Paris nearly every summer since she could walk, she couldn’t even fathom that someone would leave without seeing at least a few of its places of importance. 

“Are you offering to show me?” His response was fast, almost too fast. She knew he was most likely anticipating what she was going to say. 

“Would you like me to offer?” The quickness of his previous question was matched as she sent one eyebrow quirking upwards. 

“Yes,” Ben didn’t even hesitate when he replied, a nod of confirmation coming next. 

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” 

“My show isn’t until around six.” 

“Okay… well, would you like me to take you on the world’s fastest tour of Paris?” She couldn’t help the laugh in her question as she was thinking about their mode of transport and the places they would go. 

“That would be awesome!” The excitement in his voice gave her butterflies as they began to shove on their jackets again, his covering his wide array of tattoos. 

“Alright, well, let's go.” 

Ben went ahead of her as she collected her book bag and helmet that had been sitting next to her forgotten the entire time. She walked over to the waitress to pay only to be told it had been paid. The revelation made her turn her head to reveal him standing holding the door open, all the while he wore an innocent smile. Her eyes narrowed but the look held no malice since she knew it was probably no use to argue. 

“Hope you don’t mind my choice of transport,” she smirked when she was close enough to him, noticing how his eyes fell to her helmet as she walked over the threshold and out into the crisp air. He was in for the ride of his life… quite literally. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Do you ever stop?!” Came her exasperated retort, a laugh coming out with it involuntarily.  
>  “It makes you smile doesn’t it?”_

Rey came to a halt when they reached the sidewalk. She took a moment to remember where she had parked her vehicle hours earlier. It didn’t take long for her to locate the vibrant yellow down the street and she made her way across the road with Ben in hot pursuit. 

“Should I be concerned at the fact you’re carrying a helmet?” Quips like those seemed to come naturally to him, since he maintained the natural swagger that he appeared to have. Rey of course simply shook her head but opened her mouth to answer him nonetheless. 

“Depends, how experienced are you with only having the person in front of you to hold on to?” She asked him, a smirk moving over her face as she glanced up at him as they walked towards their destination. She always looked for the free parking spots. 

“I’m comfortable with that. Even if I wasn’t, I could definitely get used to it”. Well  _ that _ wiped the smirk right off her face as she stared up at him.  _ Well played motherfucker, well played, _ she thought to herself. Of course, she couldn’t admit he had won the point. 

“Do you  _ ever _ stop?!” Came her exasperated retort, a laugh coming out with it involuntarily. 

“It makes you smile doesn’t it?” There was no way to lie to him since she was currently battling to get the mentioned facial expression under wraps. 

“Not the point!” 

“It’s exactly the point.” 

“I’m going to leave you here if you keep making valid responses like that Ben!” She threw her hands up in the air in frustration at having no retort to give him save for the truth. It was one point to him, that was for sure. 

“Not sorry.” 

All she could settle for was giving him a playful shove. He was an anomaly; while he had moments like these where he was cocky and he knew exactly how to speak to women, he was still capable of being totally sincere. Like when they had spoken in the cafe. She couldn’t help but wonder if the swagger he had was more like armour than anything. Rey had to respect the confidence; she wished she could be so sure about things. 

They arrived at her bright yellow Vespa and she held her arms in a dramatic presenting motion. 

“Here she is!” 

“Um…” Rey couldn’t say she was expecting the perplexed look that crossed Ben’s face in that moment. It looked like he was mentally trying to work out a math equation. 

“What? You don’t like her? You’re going to hurt her feelings if you keep that face on,” she scolded him, only half joking. She knew her Vespa was an inanimate object but there were several times when she swore incidents were more than just coincidence. Like the one day she grumbled about the speed, her breaks failed. So, she just decided it was better to never insult her. 

“Oh it’s not that… she’s a cool little mother fucker… I’m just thinking about the physics of me fitting on,” he squinted his eyes as he spoke, bringing one leg to test out the position he would have to be in. If she didn’t already have the solution, he would have had a point.

“Yes well in case I haven’t made it clear, there aren’t a lot of sasquatches in France,” she giggled at her own joke, trying to take the small victories where she could find them. 

“I knew I should have gotten that contract in writing,” he grumbled when he heard her remark, looking to the sky for what looked like divine inspiration. 

“But seriously, there are footrests so you won’t break a leg… but I can’t promise we won’t look ridiculous.” She admitted, a chuckle escaping from her mouth as she looked up at him. Even she had to concede that they’d probably look hilarious.

“As long as it’s a team effort I’m good with that,” his response came as he started to jump up and down on the spot, preparing for the ride. 

“An Englishwoman and an American man on a bright yellow Vespa speeding around Paris… sounds like a movie,” Rey joked as she walked around to the helmet case of the back, where she kept her spare one incase she picked up a friend.

“I’d buy it in a heartbeat… especially if it was a romance movie.” Ben’s reply had her inwardly groaning, she should have expected that sort of response from him and yet, she kept walking right into them.

“You don’t strike me as the type to be into romances Ben,” Rey remarked as she walked back around with the second helmet in her hand.

“Hey… I’ve got a soft center, you just need to peel back a few layers.” The shrug that game with the response was touched with sincerity but Rey chose to ignore it since she felt he would prefer it that way. 

“Oh you’d love me to pull back some layers wouldn’t you?” She teased him a little, beginning to fall into the banter more easily now. 

“You know I would Princess.” He took a step towards her then, intent shining in his eyes. Rey, realising she was in danger of being sucked into them, cleared her throat.

“Okay Mr Smooth Talker, here is your helmet. Both of us have bluetooth connection so we can talk when we’re on the bike since we won’t have time to get off at all the sights.” She held it out to him but instead of taking it from her, he simply lowered his head for her to put it on him. After a moment of making sure his face was lined up with the visor, she pushed it on and smiled triumphantly at her handy work. 

“Sweet! Thanks for doing this Rey… I know I’m taking pleasure in teasing you but I’m grateful.” The comment was sweet and a reminder that there was indeed a softness behind the confident, flirty mask her wore. 

“I want to do it, I won’t have anyone leaving Paris without seeing some of my top picks. But you’re welcome... Now, are you ready for your Parisian Adventure?” She asked him with a grin as she pulled on her own helmet. 

“Born ready!”

Both Rey and Ben moved towards her Vespa. She pulled out the footholds for him before sitting on the front part of the seat. She waited as he followed her lead and sat behind her, tucking his legs up. It was true that he definitely wasn’t made for such a vehicle; the angle his legs were at wasn’t usually seen. She could feel his thighs against her hip and down part of her own thighs. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she felt the slight friction. 

After a moment Rey turned slightly to activate the Bluetooth setting on Ben’s helmet before doing the same to her own. She shoved the keys into the ignition but refrained from turning it on as she listened for the familiar tone that their helmets were connected and ready for communication. Once the familiar tone sounded, she adjusted her helmet one last time before preparing to test the connection.

“Okay, can you hear me alright?” she waited for a moment for the subtle buzz of static to let her know the message was being sent.

“Loud and clear!” The response came through without so much as a stutter. At the confirmation she turned the key and her Vespa sprung to life. In her wing mirror, she had to stifle a giggle when she noticed Ben flail his arms out to the side, clearly apprehensive about putting his hands on her. 

“Good. So, I’m going to make it perfectly clear that this next request is not me trying to do some flirting of my own, but you gotta hold onto me tight. The traffic in Paris crazy.” She instructed him, thankful her little smile wouldn’t be visible to him while they were both in helmets.

“Now that is one rule I’m happy to follow!” Rey could literally  _ hear _ the grin in his voice as moved his hands slowly around her waist, shimmying a little closer to her in his seat. The movement made his legs move against hers once again. It was a nice feeling if she was honest.

“You’re impossible. You better keep those hands of yours just at my waist!” She feigned an authoritative tone, hoping that he bought it. 

“Yes Ma’am!” 

“Let’s go!” 

With that, she accelerated off down the street at a  _ little _ over the speed limit. A gleeful expression moved over her face when she heard Ben curse under his breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you're enjoying this fun little story! I'd love to know what you think of it! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You’re mean… I love it,” the smirk was on his face, she knew it._

The grin hadn’t left Rey’s face as she powered down the street. The crisp air nipped at the two of them as they zipped in between cars and the dreaded tour buses. If someone had told her she would be about to embark on the world’s fastest Paris tour, with an American boy decorated with tattoos on the back of her scooter, she would have laughed in their face.  _ And _ probably would have had them committed to a mental hospital. But here she was, and wearing one of the biggest smiles she had in a while. In many ways, she had forgotten the wonders of the city she lived in and she had only realised that as she planned the route in her head. 

“First quick stop; the Louvre.” Rey finally spoke up through their connection, wanting to make sure he knew where the hell they were going and not that she was about to lead him to his death. 

“Sweet! The Mona Lisa is there right?” His voice rose slightly, clearly pleased with himself that he recognised the name. He was full of surprises it seemed. Though this whole day had been one massive surprise already, and it wasn’t even 1pm yet. 

“Exactly. It’s probably the most famous painting,” she confirmed, a nod of her head accompanying her words as she concentrated on slipping past a taxi unable to move around a truck. The joys of owning her Vespa. 

“Leonardo da Vinci?” Ben’s question had her eyebrows raising up her forehead. She didn’t think he was stupid in the slightest, his quick thinking and charm proved it, but she hadn’t expected him to know anything about art. 

“... Top marks. I’m impressed,” she complimented, her eyes still trained on the road. 

“I knew the Da Vinci Code would come in handy eventually,” she could hear the glee in his voice as he spoke, making a soft laugh escape her own mouth. 

“I should have known.” 

“You saying I’m predictable?!” His voice rose several octaves, reproach was obvious in it and she was sure there was a pout on his face at even the mention. 

“Well I’ve only known you like an hour so… yes, yes I am,” Rey teased him mercilessly, pushing her lips together to stop a giggle from being heard through their connection. There was a longer pause but she couldn’t help the slight sense of dread; he was formulating the appropriate response, she was sure of it. 

“You’re mean… I love it,” the smirk was on his face, she  _ knew _ it. What confirmed her suspicion was him pressing himself into her back a little more and his long arms tightening around her ever so slightly. She didn’t reprimand him, if anything she allowed it. In her mind she blamed the fact she was concentrating on the road and  _ not _ because she enjoyed the feeling. _ Absolutely not.  _

“Are you always this flirty?” Rey inquired after a moment, she turned her scooter onto a bike lane to avoid a line of traffic forming on the lead up to the Louvre. 

“Why are you asking? You’re the one who said I’m predictable.” God, he always had an answer for everything. She had only known him for a very short time, as previously mentioned, but she had no doubt he was the same way with others in his life. 

“Don’t use my words against me!” She protested, trying her hardest to make sure she didn’t sound like she had just whined at him. She was going to have to learn quick with Ben it seemed. 

“I’m only  _ this _ flirty with girls I like,” his response came with a chuckle but his voice was a little softer, making her grip on the handlebars tighten as she chewed on her lip. 

“You barely know me, we met an  _ hour ago _ remember?” It was the only thing Rey could think of to say since the burning heat creeping onto her cheeks were distracting her somewhat. 

“Well considering you’re the girl who’s showing me around Paris on her scooter after just an hour, I’d say the feeling could be mutual,” Ben’s voice lowered a little, the gravelly quality to his voice really showing. His thumbs gently traced little circles on her waist as he held on to her and she couldn’t snap at him since he was keeping his hands exactly where he promised he would;  _ on her waist.  _

Rey’s blush deepened and she was all of a sudden very thankful that her face was hidden from his view; she didn’t want him to know how much such a little action has affected her. She shifted a little in the seat and cleared her throat as she prepared to change the subject. The only sound she heard from him was a throaty laugh.

“...  _ Okay so,  _ on our left we can see the Louvre I’m just going to turn up here real quick…” Rey began as she pointed briefly to the huge building. Once she had her hand back where it belonged, she accelerated past another car and took the side street up towards the glass pyramid. 

“You always ride like this?… I feel like you’re a getaway driver,” Ben had stiffened visibly behind her when she passed through the narrow gap between the curb and the vehicle beside them. Oh how little he knew about what she was capable of when she was in a rush to a lecture. 

“You ain’t seen nothing yet!” 

“What?!” 

She didn’t respond to his exclamation, instead, she slipped through an opening between two tour buses and the space opened up to reveal the glass pyramid.

“Thought you might like to see this since you’re such a Da Vinci Code fan,” she chuckled as they came to a brief stop to let him take it in. It was still strange to her; to the mix of old and new. It looked like it didn’t belong and yet, at the same time, it seemed as though it was made to be there. 

“Holy shit! This is so mother fucking cool!” His excitement made Rey chuckle and she nodded her head in response, her own eyes moving over the scene in front of them. It was a shame it was so crowded since she knew what it looked like at night with no tourists. 

“Yeah, it is isn’t it?” she mused as she glanced around another second before revving the engine once more, “You ready to move on to the next place?”

“Yeah! What’s up next?” The way he asked the question reminded her of a young boy who was waiting on the next present to open on Christmas Day. 

“Notre Dame.”

“Please tell me it's the same one in the Disney movie?!” His tone once again was full of excitement and she took a second to wonder how often he just got to do something like this, if he was as famous as the vibe she got from him. 

“Exactly! You sound like you religiously watched all of the Disney movies with your daughter,” she remarked, no teasing tone remaining. Instead, it was replaced by curiosity and she wished she could see his face when he spoke about her. 

“Because I did! No regrets though. Padmé literally knows all the words to most of them.” 

“Well we have that in common; I watched them recently and I don’t have a daughter. I think I watched one of them last week.” Rey grinned then, not that he could see her but she knew he’d know from the sound of her voice. 

“She’d love you, Disney movie fan or not. You’re the type of woman I hope she grows up to be like; intelligent, ready to take on the world, willing to take risks and give a stranger a ride all over Paris,” he joked with her, giving her side a squeeze as they sat there. What he didn’t know was she was blushing from her toes to her ears. 

“That’s probably the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me… thanks Ben,” she told him softly. In more ways than one, she had wished she could be a role model to kids out there and tell them they can do anything no matter if the odds are stacked against them. 

“You’re welcome, I meant every word. I wish we met back home, then you could have,” there was a wave of disappointment in his voice and she realised then that she wished the same thing. 

There was a sudden realisation for Rey; this was all going to end very quickly. She knew he was on tour and touring meant moving from city to city at a fast rate. When he mentioned what he was doing in Paris she knew he wouldn’t be in the city for long but, she felt some connection developing between the pair of them. One that would make her sad to let go of when this came to an end. But fate seemed to like playing games and this was one of them. The voice at the back of her mind was telling her to enjoy every moment regardless of the fact they would have to say goodbye soon. 

“Yeah, I do too... Hey Ben? When do you leave Paris?” She almost didn’t want to know the answer to her question.

“Tomorrow morning... I know it’s not long,” Ben told her quietly, the realisation that this was only going to be a fleeting moment in each of their lives hitting. 

“Yeah, it’s not. Let’s not waste any more time then.” Rey moved her hand from the handlebars and gave one of his knees a soft squeeze before taking it away before he could react.

Once her hands were safely back where they belonged, she did a quick U-turn and sped down the street towards Notre Dame. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are coming faster since I have a few already written. Plus, I think we all need something to keep our mind off things! Hope you enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I literally met him like an hour ago, at the cafe I go,” she tried her best to explain the situation as well as she could without it seeming crazy. She failed._

There was a rare few moment of silence between the Rey and Ben as they drove down a pedestrianised walkway by the Seine. Her bright yellow Vespa was a common sight in these parts, so any regulars barely even gave her a second glance as she weaved along the street. Though she did try to keep her little trips down no-entry streets to a minimum incase the regular patrol officer wasn’t on duty; she was good at talking herself out of almost anything when it came to the law enforcement around Paris. 

“I get the feeling you’re not supposed to have a bike on this street,” Ben’s voice eventually broke through their radio silence, making her chuckle. 

“What can I say, I have the police in my pocket,” she teased him as she steered onto another little street, eventually filtering onto a road made for cars. 

“I’m going to go with you’re joking with me on that one,” there was amusement in his voice when he made the statement and all Rey did was shift slightly in response since he couldn’t see the little smirk that moved over her face. 

“That would be a good move,” she replied to him before pointing over to the beautiful ornate building, “So… just so you leave knowing something: the cathedral’s construction began in 1160 but it wasn’t actually completed until around 1260. It was, of course, made famous by Victor Hugo’s novel;  _ Notre-Dame de Paris _ or The Hunchback of Notre Dame as we all know it by…  _ and  _ I’m probably boring you with this information”. She couldn’t help but shake her head at herself; she always ended up going on historical tangents that made most people wish they never asked about the one thing they were curious about. That was the curse of reading so much when writing articles.

“Fuck no! This is the most interested I’ve been in something outside music and my family in a while,” he protested, giving her hips a squeeze of encouragement as his hands became slightly more relaxed at the speed they were travelling at. She wasn’t used to the the little flirty movements he did and she flinched ever so slightly before relaxing again. 

“You’re going to say it’s because you like hearing me talk aren’t you?” They came to a stop so they could get a good look at the beautiful stained glass window twinkling in the sunlight. The more she spent time with him, the more playful she felt.

“Actually, I find intelligence sexy,” once again, Rey could hear the smirk on Ben’s face. Clearly he was satisfied with his answer. 

“Uh-huh, and it just so happens I’ve got a decent set of tits on me right?” she quipped back at him, keeping her gaze averted as she looked up at the beautiful architecture in front of them. 

“Well I wasn’t going to say that buuuut…” 

“You’re such a perve!” She let out a gasp and shot her arm back to elbow him in stomach. All she got in response was a slight noise of protest before he caught her arm to stop her from attempting another attack.

“I’m joking! Seriously though, I want to hear about the things we’re seeing,” he told her honestly. There was no hint of the teasing tone he used previously when he made reference to her boobs so Rey took the decision to believe him on this occasion. 

After another few seconds of just sitting quietly, she cleared her throat and revved the engine awake, alerting him to the fact they were about to move off. She felt his arms move around her a little tighter, probably anticipating the speed she was about to set off at. Of course she didn’t disappoint as she flew out onto the road, heading towards the Bastille. 

It was a quick stop for the monument dedicated to where The Bastille had once stood. Rey only slowed down to give a brief explanation of what the monument was for and some facts about the revolution in France during that time. Of course, she had to reference  _ Les Misérables  _ from time to time since it actually made everything easier to understand. Really all Rey was focused on was getting to their next stop; The Catacombs. 

“Hey Ben?” Rey cracked through the connection as they drove down a straight road.

“Yeah Miss Driver?” he asked her chipperly. 

“I’m gonna disconnect us for a few minutes, I need to make a call. Think you can handle that?” she enquired, feigning concern. 

“I don’t know how I’m going to survive Rey, will you remember me as we part during this difficult time?!” The drama in his voice was certainly something; she had to squeeze her lips together to keep herself from bursting out laughing. So, she simply cut the line without a word, almost hearing the gasp of hurt despite there being no audio. He gave her another squeeze as she prepared to call her friend who worked there. Rey lifted her hand with the intent of giving him a warning slap but instead, her hand seemed to have a mind of its own. She placed hers over his, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze as her breath quickened, suddenly becoming thankful he couldn’t hear her anymore. Once she instructed her helmet to make the call, she moved her hand away before she convinced herself it was safe to drive one-handed. 

“ _ Bonjour _ ?” Rose answered the call with a sing-song voice Rey always attributed to her. She was from Wimbledon, close to London and was currently doing her PhD. here in Paris. They bonded from the moment they met in a guest lecture and had been close friends ever since. She had been attending since she was writing an article on the significance of the Catacombs. Right now Rose was doing a placement in the Catacombs and would often let Rey help out for some valuable insight into the structure of the underground maze. 

“Hey Princess Rose, I have a favour to ask you. Do I still have one left in your stock?” she jested with her, her mood lightening even more by the sound of the girl’s Disney style laugh on the other end of the call. 

“I think you might  _ just _ have one left. What can I do you for?” she confirmed with another little snort of laughter. 

“I have a friend with me right now who is only in Paris until tomorrow morning. You think you could let us in for a quick look around the area you’re working on?” The road they were currently on was clearer than she had expected for the time of day so she slowed down slightly so Ben would enjoy the scenery while she spoke to Rose. 

“A friend, or a  _ friend?”  _ she questioned. Clearly by the way she was asking, she was hoping for the latter. Rey let out a huff knowing her answer probably wouldn’t be good enough for her. 

“I literally met him like an hour ago, at the cafe I go,” she tried her best to explain the situation as well as she could without it seeming crazy. She failed. 

“Wait, so you’re showing a guy around Paris and you only met him an hour ago… wow, he must be quite the looker.” Just like Ben, she could hear her friend’s smirk on the other end of the phone. She was the friend who always pushed her to go out and meet new people; specifically boys. Two things she barely had time for. 

“Rose! That’s not it! I mean, he  _ is _ a looker but turns out he’s from New York too, and we kinda hit it off… so can I assume you can grant me the favour?” She asked as innocently as she could, not wanting to divulge much on what occurred earlier since he was on the back of her Vespa. 

“Only you would find a guy from your hometown who’s only here for like a day Rey. You better have some  _ plans _ later. But I’ll be waiting at our usual side door; I’m about to get off for the day so be quick.” 

“Excuse you, he’s on my bike right now and I’m hoping he can’t hear what you just said! But thanks, Ben and I will be there in a bit.” 

“ _ Oh my God,  _ it must be love if you’re letting him on your beloved Vespa,” she gasped down the down the phone at her, clearly all the more excited to meet the mystery man. 

“ _ Bye Rose! _ ” She hung up before her friend could ask anymore questions. 

After taking a moment to pull herself together, she reconnected the bluetooth on their helmets. 

“So I’ve got a friend who is able to get us into a closed off section of the Catacombs. You up for checking out some bones?” she asked him, hoping he would be as interested as she expected. 

“Fuck yeah I am!” His reaction made her chuckle, a soft smile staying on her lips at his enthusiasm for the things she was showing him. 

“Be prepared though, my friend Rose might be ready to ask you twenty questions in the space of the two minutes when we see her,” she warned him lightheartedly. 

“Oh don’t you worry, I’ll give her all the juicy details,” he joked with her, making a groan come from her mouth. 

“I don’t want to  _ know _ what your little brain will come up with”.

“You  _ do _ ; you don’t know what I’m imagining.”

Suddenly Rey felt as though she was a teenager again since the only response she gave him was a sort of squeak as she turned bright red. Usually she was a lot more collected instead of the mess he was making her but she was putting it down to the absurdity of the situation. She did her best to ignore the soft laugh coming from his end of the connection as they continued on their way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter guys! I hope you all had a great Christmas, if you celebrate it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I was thinking more along the lines of either hobbit or borrower.”  
>  The response he gave her was exactly what she had been expecting and she couldn’t do anything but giggle. _  
> 

It wasn’t long before Rey was cutting the engine on her Vespa and pulling her helmet off. She turned to look at Ben who was stretching out his long limbs, and laughed a little at the sight. 

“You’re not made for this sort of travel are you?” she commented as she pursed her lips together to keep the smug look from appearing on her face. This was one of the only activities in life she had the upper hand; and she was making it known. 

“Is this going to be another one of your height jokes?” The side-eye she got from Ben was almost enough to make her crack immediately, but she refrained in order to keep up the act for a little longer. 

“No, well I mean, it  _ is _ an unusual sight,” she mused, her voice trailing off as she pretended to contemplate something seemingly important. 

“What is?” 

“To see Slenderman on the back of a scooter.” Her lips pulled into a tight lined smile as she looked up at him, her eyes dancing with mischief. 

“... I really should have seen that coming,” he grumbled as he met her gaze. She could see from the way he looked at her that he was amused and shortly after a little smile moved over his face. The desire to reach out and stroke over it was something that shocked her and she could feel a blush washing over her cheeks at the notion.

“You really should have… but I’m just trying to get my quota in before the jokes start coming in about me being a midget,” she reasoned with him, knowing full well it would be coming soon.

“I was thinking more along the lines of either hobbit or borrower.” The response he gave her was exactly what she had been expecting and she couldn’t do anything but giggle. 

“Great, I’ll be waiting with bated breath for those.” 

After Rey started locked their helmets up, then gestured with her head for him to follow her towards a side door to give them quick access to the maze of bones beneath them. The door was ajar so she knew her friend was going to be lurking somewhere close by since her shift was over. 

“Oh Princess Rose!” she called, extending her name out for a few extra seconds than strictly necessary and sure enough, the little brunette stuck her head out of the opening with a wide smile. The cheerful look was spread wide over her face as she walked down to meet the two. She stopped a few steps short of where she should have, her eyes falling on Ben who wore a friendly expression. 

Rey wouldn’t go as far as saying Rose’s mouth dropped open, but she could very clearly see her jaw was loose in her mouth as she observed her companion. It was fair to say she was more of a music fan than her and by the look on her face, she knew who he was. 

“Hey you… this is the friend I was telling you about; Ben. Ben, meet Rose.” Rey introduced them as Ben stuck out his hand for Rose to shake. A gentleman it seemed. Not like she thought he was a dick but it was nice for her to see. 

“Yeah I kn- I mean, nice to meet you Ben, I’m Rose; the best friend and bone extraordinaire.” Despite her apparent shock at who she came face to face with, Rey still wasn’t sure exactly  _ who _ he was, she regained her composure and shook the hand offered to her. 

“Bone extraordinaire? Sounds like you should be on an episode of CSI: Paris,” Ben remarked with a chuckle as he looked down at her friend. A smile remained on his face and Rey couldn’t help but note how utterly innocent he looked with his boyish smile and twinking brown eyes… or were they hazel? It was hard for her to decide. Whatever... his whole appearance was a problem for her. 

“I should be starring on that show,” Rose told him with a wave of her hand as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Yup, that’s Rose: never knows when to be modest,” Rey shook her head and looked skyward in the hope of some divine intervention.

“No one ever got anywhere being modest!” She knew fine well her friend’s reply was a jibe at the fact she never liked to talk about the things she was working on; it was an irk of Rose’s to this day. 

“She has a point.” The sound of Ben backing her friend up had Rey turning to jokingly glare at him. 

“You’re going to be joining these bones if you don’t remember whose side you’re on,” she threatened as her mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly, her tease very clear. 

“Rose, if I don’t come out of here then you know what happened.” He turned to look at her as his face feigned seriousness before he sucked in a breath when she elbowed him in the ribs. Rose’s eyes moved back and forth between the pair of them before they settled on Rey, giving her a knowing look. 

“I won’t know until tomorrow and unfortunately, Rey here will be on the run by then… however, I gotta get going since I shouldn’t waste my valuable time off. The door locks automatically when you leave.” She gave out her instructions as she was already walking backwards in the direction of main road, clearly keen to make a quick getaway. 

“Okay, thanks again Rose! See you around!” She waved as she turned and headed towards the door wedged open. 

“Au Revoir ma cher… text me later!” In response to her friend, Rey stuck up her thumb. She did her best to ignore the tingling feeling she felt on the small of her back when Ben placed his hand there to guide her.

They maintained a silence as they descended into the catacombs. Perhaps a few minutes in Rey started up her usually speel of facts about what they were used for and how old parts of it were. Whether or not Ben found it interesting she didn’t know, but he nodded along and engaged occasionally. Things like not being able to believe former mines were used to bury the dead. She couldn’t help but notice he seemed unusually quiet; granted she only knew him a couple of hours but it was the vibe she got.

“So what made you decide to do this?” Ben spoke up after they had walked through a few more of the tunnels in the underground labyrinth. She could tell instantly he meant her studying journalism and learning about things like this, but there was something about spending time with him making her want to be more jesting with him.

“Do what? Cart around a stranger all day?” She asked him with a little chuckle. 

“Ha. Ha. No. I mean  _ this _ . What made you want to dig up old things?” His arms gestured around them to add more strength to his point before he looked down at her again. 

“Well, I don’t do the digging myself; I write about it since journalism is my masters  _ but _ I like digging up old facts… seemed like a better deal than having to put up with living people all day long.” Rey’s explanation was completely honest; she had always preferred to be buried in a book or our volunteering at an excavation site learning about events of the past. But her mother, who loved an event to go to, told her it was because she had never met the right people to enjoy them with. 

“I’ll admit, sometimes being away from people is pretty great… so what’s the plan after you’re finished here?” The curiosity Ben was showing about who she was and what she was doing here, was surprising. She had always been told performers were very self-centred and yet, he hadn’t said much about him at all. 

“I don’t really have an exact idea; journalists work all over the world. I just know I’m ready to see everything out there life has to offer. I’m going to learn report on places people hardly ever hear of, delve into different misunderstood minds and offer insight to people who don’t understand. Journalism isn’t just about reporting and writing about things first, it’s about learning about how people tick, how the respond to different lines of questioning I never want anyone I interview to feel uptight or closed off. I want to find out truths, not by invading but by understanding… I guess I have big plans for myself; I don’t want to be stuck in one place for too long.” She came to a stop in front of a large pillar made of stone, knowing the public occupied area wasn’t far away now. 

“You are really something, you know that?” He mused as he looked around their surroundings again.

“What do you mean?” Rey looked up at him then, noting how the lighting in the room made his bone structure stand out even more and his eyes glimmer like they were caught in candlelight. 

“I mean you’re not like any girl I’ve met… you remind me of myself when I started out.” He tilted his head in a way that told her his admission wasn’t something he intended to make. 

“I hope that’s a good thing?” Rey asked him with a hint of amusement in her voice. 

“I’d like to say so; I turned out alright success wise. Just… don’t let anyone say you can’t do something because they will and you’ll be tempted to believe them. Then you’ll find yourself stagnant for a while and begin to question if your dream was the right one after all.” He trailed off at the end and became lost in thought.

“We’re… not just talking about me now, are we?” Rey asked him softly, her voice gentle. 

“No. I guess we’re not.” The way he answered the question made her realise maybe he had been broken before and the confidence he oozed was sometimes a mask.

“Well for what it’s worth; I think you turned out pretty great. You can listen to me babble on about different facts and observations without complaint, and if that’s not a good hearted person then I don’t know what is.”

To back up what she said, Rey carefully moved her hand to gently rest on his lower arm he had by his side. Her thumb gently traced circles as she did her best to comfort him without completely understanding. She knew she should distance herself from feeling so empathetic towards him; they were only going to be in the same city until the next morning.  _ And _ the two of them probably had the next 2 hours or so before they would part ways. Getting even close to attached was a bad idea. A  _ really _ bad one. 

Ben slowly turned to look at her, a soft smile moving over his lips as he looked at her. 

“I could listen to you all day Rey,” he murmured softly as he moved his head slowly towards her. 

Rey was aware of what was going to happen if she didn’t do something and, if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if she could take admitting how she might feel about him… How she might feel about him if he did close the gap like he was about to. She knew nothing much about him but she knew enough to know they were from different worlds… worlds that would probably never come into contact again. 

“We should head back before we fall behind schedule; there’s still a lot to see,” she practically choked out as she took a step back and pointed in the direction they came. She did her best to ignore his face falling as he nodded in response. 

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” he agreed half-heartedly as he moved to follow her. 

Rey didn’t say anything as they headed back to civilisation, still feeling the aftershocks of electricity buzzing between them. She had to keep her mind on the last stops on the tour. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter until next year! Happy New Year everyone!  
> As always, let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“If this is the only chance to get evidence of the beauty I met in Paris, I’m taking it”_

They were back on Rey’s Vespa and speeding through the busy Paris traffic. Despite feeling the tension, she kept their bluetooth connections open as they drove so she could give him little tidbits of trivia about the city as they drove. She couldn’t help but feel the way Ben’s arms wrapped around her as he sat behind her; it probably wasn’t any different from before but she felt like her skin was alive wherever they had body contact. There a pang of guilt in her stomach for moving back then they were in the catacombs. An after thought came to her: perhaps it was regret.  _ Perhaps _ she wished she had closed the remainder of the gap and kissed him. Rey wondered if he would be as open with her now she had essentially rejected him when he attempted to do anything about the spark that was between them. 

Rey pointed out all the big landmarks as they drove; she told him about the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe as they passed it but they didn’t stop. 

“Too many tourists to really enjoy walking around, I’ve got a better idea for the next stop,” she told him as the weaved around the Arc. She had a more hidden idea in mind. Plus, if he really was as famous as she was beginning to suspect he was, they’d be spotted in no time. Instead, she was choosing Place du Tertre. 

“I’d follow you blindly,” Ben quipped in reply, making her giggle a little. It seemed no matter how much she wanted to put some distance between them, he kept crawling back under her skin. The thing that scared her was she didn’t really mind. In fact, if she was honest, she was beginning to realise she was almost leaning back into his grip. She wasn’t doing it on purpose, it was like instinct to her… like she knew he could protect her. The notion itself made her scoff since she didn’t need protecting but, at the same time, it was nice to believe someone could. 

It didn’t take too long for her to be parking her Vespa and for them to make their way to the Square. Just as she suspected, it was bustling with artists and photographers as well as pretty stalls filled with souvenirs and crafts.

“Wow, I didn’t even know this place existed!” Ben’s eyes were wide as he looked around. 

“Not a lot of tourists do but some people still manage to find it. It’s a really artsy place; lots of people taking pictures or drawing and painting.” Rey made movements with her hand to show him all the different people and what they were doing. 

“Souvenirs too,” he pointed at some stalls before stretching out his long legs and heading toward one they sold odd looking things.

Taking the chance, Rey quickly bought a pretty postcard at the stand right next to her, intending to give it to him later, at their last stop. Luckily, she was just putting the small gift into her bag only a few minutes later when he reappeared with a little bag of his own.

“Didn’t take you for a shopaholic,” she teased him as he rolled his eyes at her comment.

“It’s not for me actually.” Ben stuck his tongue out in a childish manner but she could she this mischief in his eyes.

“Oh?” She looked from him, to the little bag and back again. 

“It’s a surprise,” he smirked as he looked down at her, his height all the more obvious when they stood like this. 

“So it’s for me?” she questioned him, her eyebrows shooting up at the thought of what it could be. 

“Don’t be so presumptuous Rey!” He protested, making her eyes widen, wondering if she perhaps  _ had _ taken him the wrong way.

“Excuse me, I was not; I just-“ she protested, stammering to find the words before he cut her off. 

“I’m kidding! You’ll need to wait and see.” 

“You’re a jerk!” She slapped his arm to show her dismay, shaking her head at how he played with her.

“I didn’t see you complaining before!” It was his turn to tease her this time as he caught her arm that hit him. She froze as she stared up at him, swallowing thickly as the same energy from the Catacombs began to swirling again. 

“Les amoureux!” A voice shouted from the a few metres away. Rey was jolted from her trance she was in. She turned to see an older man with a polaroid camera looking at the both of them. 

“Quoi?” She asked, not really realising what word he used.

“Laissez-moi prendre une belle photo de vous pour vous souvenir de votre voyage dans cette ville incroyable!” 

“What’s he saying?” Ben questioned, looking from the photographer to her. 

“He wants to take a picture of us to remember our trip by. He thinks we’re dating,” she explained, loosely translating what he said. 

“Why the hell not, let’s do it!” Ben immediately took her hand and walked in the direction of where the photographer stood.

“Are you sure?” she asked him, surprised he was so willing.

“If this is the only chance to get evidence of the beauty I met in Paris, I’m taking it,” he responded to her, making her blush a little. A few seconds later, they came to a halt in front of the man. 

“Bonjour Monsieur, oui nous aimerions une photo,” she confirmed with a smile. 

“Merveilleux! Reste là quelques instants pendant que je prépare mon appareil photo,” the man beamed at the two of them as he stood back. 

“He wants us to stand here while he sets up,” she told Ben.

In response, he moved his long arm around her shoulders and looked down at her, chuckling at the questioning look Rey was giving him.

“He thinks we’re dating so I think we should keep up the act,” he grinned, only half joking, she was sure. She supposed he did have a point so she simply nodded and moved her hand up to lace his fingers with her own. She was telling herself she was only doing this for the benefit of the photographer and not because  _ she  _ was enjoying it so much. 

“I guess you do have a point; we can’t have the man being too disappointed, can we?” she agreed. 

“You’re right, I mean it’s actually pretty difficult being this close to you,” he teased, pulling her closer to him. All the while, she let him.

“Yeah, I mean this is torture for me too,” she agreed.

“Glad we both feel the same way,” he shot back, a smile moving over his face as she giggled at his response.

Just then, she had the familiar sound of a camera click.

“Et voilà!” the photographer cried triumphantly. 

“Déjà?”

“Oui. Les meilleures photos sont prises lorsque personne ne sait que l'appareil photo est là,” he told her as he handed her the polaroid he had placed in an envelope. 

“Combien?” she asked him as she reached into her purse for her wallet.

“Gratuit. Pensez-y comme à un cadeau de la ville pour ne jamais oublier votre temps ici,” the man smiled warmly as he stepped away and went back to his things.

“Merci Monsieur!” she called as she turned to Ben, “He didn’t want anything for it.” 

“Can I see it?” he asked her, as he held out his hand.

“Give it some time, it won’t be developed yet!” she protested, swatting his hand away from her. 

“Leaving me in suspense again I see,” came the mutter from him as he chuckled. 

“You’ll live,” Rey replied in a deadpan manner.

“Just barely.” The reply was something she should have expected but she still snorted. 

“You want me to get the violin out?” she asked him with a mocking tone. 

“You’re mean,” he retorted but there was a smirk threatening to show through his hurt facade. 

“And yet you’re still here,” she retorted.

“Didn’t say I didn’t like it.” 

Rey and Ben locked eyes for the umpteenth time in the hours since they met. She felt her mind become fuzzy as she continued to look at him. It was frustrating to her that no matter what she tried, she couldn’t shake what she felt around him; instant attraction. Well, not quite instant, but developed in the last couple of hours.

She reached out for his hand, letting her small fingers curl around his larger one as she looked up at the sky. The sun had disappeared behind the buildings now, which meant they didn’t have a lot of time left together. 

“Come on, we can walk to our last stop,” she told him.

She tugged him in the direction they were headed, not saying anything about the fact she continued to hold his hand. There was something about the knowledge they would be parting ways soon that made her want to hold on to him for a little while. 

**Translations**

  * "Les amoureux!" : "Lovers!"
  * "Quoi?" : "What?"
  * "Laissez-moi prendre une belle photo de vous pour vous souvenir de votre voyage dans cette ville incroyable!" : "Let me take a nice picture of you to remember your trip to this amazing city!"
  * "Bonjour Monsieur, oui nous aimerions une photo." : "Hello sir, yes we would like a photo."
  * "Merveilleux! Reste là quelques instants pendant que je prépare mon appareil photo." : "Wonderful! Stay there for a few moments while I prepare my camera. "
  * "Et Voila!" : "And there you go!"
  * "Déjà?" : "Already?"
  * "Oui. Les meilleures photos sont prises lorsque personne ne sait que l'appareil photo est là.": "Yes. The best photos are taken when no one knows that the camera is there. "
  * "Combien?" : "How much?"
  * "Gratuit. Pensez-y comme à un cadeau de la ville pour ne jamais oublier votre temps ici." : "Free. Think of it as a gift from the city to never forget your time here. "



  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy! Let me know! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“What are you thinking about?” she asked him quietly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze to bring him out of his thoughts.  
>  “You,” Ben admitted to her..._

Rey’s gait was slower than usual; she was beginning to realise how much she wanted to put off saying goodbye to him. She couldn’t explain how it felt; to have only met someone mere hours ago and to be able to talk to them like you’ve known them for years. She stole a glance up at Ben who was staring straight ahead. His almost black hair hung low on his forehead but she could see his brows were knitted together as he began to trace little circles on the back of her hand. 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked him quietly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze to bring him out of his thoughts.

“You,” Ben admitted to her after a few moments of silence, it made her turn her head to look up at him, his brown eyes waiting to greet her. She could get lost in them, she was sure. 

“What about me?” she questioned, not taking her eyes away from his. She felt like her whole approach had taken a whole U-turn. Before she had been closed off with him because she knew there was no point in getting close to someone she was only to get to know for a few hours. Now, when she realised she was getting attached regardless, she was content to just go with the flow… lean into his touch when he gave her it… even if it was just holding hands.

“About how I met you five hours ago and I still want to stay longer… just to get to know you for a while.” Despite what her thought process had been just a moment ago, his confession caught her off-guard; all she could do was stare at him for a few seconds.

“You’ve got a show tonight though,” Rey managed to stutter out as their pace slowed even further. What she  _ really  _ wanted to tell him was she wished he could too. 

“I do,” he confirmed with a slow nod, like he didn’t want to admit it to her  _ or _ himself.

“So we need to say goodbye very soon.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, the words fading from her mouth as she finished the sentence. 

“Yeah… we do.” 

She sighed defeatedly as she sped up again, wanting to get them in position for the sunset. There was no view like this one in the whole of Paris, and she wanted to share one of her favourite places with him. 

They turned the corner and realised that the usual groups of people who gathered were largely absent from the area; the cold snap of air that day must have kept most of them at bay. In turn, it meant they had a lot more privacy for the two of them. She wasn’t sure when she started caring about having time to talk without anyone around, but now she did. Time was running out for their chance meeting. Soon, Ben would have to go set up for his show and Rey… well, she’d have to return to her normal life. The life that didn’t involve meeting tall, handsome, tattooed American men who also happened to be famous. She didn’t realise until the last half hour, just how much she was going to miss the blip in her life. 

“It’s almost time, let’s sit on the stairs,” she moved quickly over sit down while the sun had begun to disappear behind the buildings below them, “this is the best view in all of Paris and it’s the perfect time to see it.” 

Ben remained quiet for a while as they say there, taking in the skies beautiful orange and pink hues. Rey glanced at him, wondering what was going on in his mind. 

“This is amazing,” he told her softly his eyes still on the sky ahead of them. 

“Yeah, it’s one of my favourite places to come,” she agreed, the postcard long forgotten and his gift for her far from his mind too. 

“I don’t just mean this…”

“No?” she asked, a curious eyebrow quirking upwards. 

“No,” he confirmed, shaking his head before continuing, “I mean everything… meeting you outside that café because I lost my damned lighter, you showing me this amazing city… but more importantly; I got to know you and I got to show you who I really am without you having some opinion of me beforehand. You have no idea how refreshing that is for me Rey. I don’t feel so heavy anymore.” 

Ben turned to face her and she noted how his eyes shone with potential tears; it made her realise how honest he was being with her… how her being oblivious about he who is, was a weight off his shoulders. Rey reached out, suddenly feeling desperate to reassure him. Her hand found his cheek and her fingers slowly began to move in circular motions. 

“Anyone who has the chance to know even the part you put on for the public, is so lucky. You have no idea how lucky I feel to have gotten know just Ben from New York City. He’s pretty amazing,” she told him softly.

The sunset was long forgotten as they sat there, their eyes roamed over each other and trying to commit the other to memory. He leaned in then, gently resting his forehead against hers and she welcomed the contact, taking a soft breath inwards as she moved her hand down to his chest.

“I wish we had more time Rey. I wish you could meet my daughter and my friends... Maybe even more importantly, I wish we had the opportunity to be in each other’s lives ... maybe it’s just the words of someone who feels broken, but I do,” his voice trembled slightly as he spoke to her and Rey found herself shaking her head.

“You’re not broken Ben and anyone who says you are needs to realise there’s no such thing as a broken person. A little cracked maybe, but not broken. Though… I can’t help but wonder if all we’re meant to be are ships passing in the night.” She wanted to make him feel better. Despite only knowing him for a few hours, she wanted him to know there was nothing wrong with him. 

“You really believe that’s our fate? To be ships?” He pulled back slightly so he could look into her hazel eyes. She swallowed as she returned his gaze, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

“It’s the only way to make saying goodbye to you a little less painful,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Rey…” Ben didn’t finish what he was about to say, instead he gently cupped her face with his hands as her own gripped the front of his shirt. He slowly closed the gap, stopping millimetres from her lips. Rey couldn’t pull back, not this time. Instead, she closed it and their lips met for the first time. 

It wasn’t a deep kiss by any means but it was tender and filled with emotion, and when they pulled away, she felt a void where his touch had been. It pained her to think they would probably never be in this situation again. Life was too different for them; they had different paths to follow in life. She didn’t want to accept it since she hadn’t felt this alive before, not with a man at least. 

“I’ll never forget this day Ben,” she whispered, pecking his lips again as she moved back, her hand finally slipping away from his chest. She kept her eyes on him and tried to keep her own emotions in check. What could this ever be other than a chance meeting never to be repeated? He was a musician and on tour and, despite not knowing who he was, she knew he was busy. And Rey had a life of journalism to lead; they were never going to meet again. Or at least, she highly doubted it. 

“Neither will I,” he confirmed to her as he closed the gap again for what she took to be their last kiss. The sun finally disappeared behind the buildings, leaving soft colours in its wake. 

“Come on, I’ll drive you back,” she moved to stand, only for him to catch her wrist.

“No, I’ll call one of my guys to come and get me,” Ben shook his head.

“You sure?” she asked, surprised by his decision. 

“Yeah, I want to enjoy my state of mind a little longer.”

She knew the calming affect this place could have on her soul so she understood wanting to stay longer. 

“Okay. Well, goodbye Ben,” she did her very best to smile despite feeling as though her heart was being torn in different directions. Just before she stood properly, she leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth before she decided to stay with him. 

“Bye Rey.”

She heard the words but she was already turned and walking away from him, feeling the moisture in her eyes spill over. A couple of tears moved down her cheeks as she headed back towards her Vespa. It had been foolish to have gotten attached but she didn’t regret it. Not really.

It was only a few minutes walk back to where she parked and she was unlocking her bike when she heard heavy footsteps moving quickly behind her. She had assumed it was a jogger on their way around the area. Until a hand wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her gently around. 

Ben. He stood there in front of her, breathing a little heavily from the apparent burst of speed he just produced. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, both from the fright of him coming up behind her and the fact it was  _ him.  _ Words failed her for a few moments. 

“Let’s not say goodbye yet,” he murmured looking down at her as she craned her neck up to meet his eyes, “Come to my show tonight. I want you to see who I am on a stage.”

Rey wondered if this would do any good or if it would only cause more pain for them both in the long run. But she couldn’t bear to tell him no and if she was honest with herself, she didn’t  _ want _ to say no.

“Okay… I’ll come,” she confirmed, watching as a wide smile cross his face as he brought his hand to her cheek. 

“How about you drop me off at the venue so you know where you’re going later?” he suggested. In response, Rey handed him the spare helmet.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are hotting up! Hope you enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re wrong,” she told her lamely, not thinking of anything else in the moment.   
> “Am I?”

“I can’t  _ go! _ ” Rey protested as she held her phone to her ear while pacing back and forth across her petite apartment. Frames hung slightly askew on the walls and her duvet was bundled on top on the bed like it was housing a small elf. It was an accurate depiction of her mind in the current moment.

“What the hell do you mean you mean, _you can’t just go?!”_ Rose’s voice crackled to life on the other end of the line once again. She had been filling her best friend in on most of the happenings of the day, and of course, her invite to the concert. Though, she did leave out their kiss on the steps of the Sacre Coeur; she wouldn’t ever be allowed to live it down. 

“Because, we’re just putting off the obvious.” Rey let out a breath of frustration, running her fingers through her currently messy hair. She was on the verge of screaming because she knew she should follow her head and not her heart in a situation.

“And what, pray tell, is the obvious?” Rose’s tone was flat and her no bullshit attitude was coming out tenfold as she waited for her friend’s answer. 

“That he’s going to leave, I’m going to stay here and we’re never going to see each other again.” The words left her mouth sounding as though they were the most obvious thing in the world and not just the excuse they were. 

“So you  _ do _ have feelings for him,” Rose accused, her voice becoming higher as she started to laugh triumphantly down the phone at her. 

“Wha- where did you get that from?!” Rey gasped, spluttering over the words as she listened to her friend.

“It seems pretty obvious to me. You care about the fact you’re not going to see him again and seem pretty aware of the fact saying goodbye will be hard. You’re taking the coward’s way out.” The response was almost enough to shut her up completely but, Rey knew she had to save her integrity somehow. 

“You’re wrong,” she told her lamely, not thinking of anything else in the moment. 

“Am I?”

This time Rey did go quiet as words seemed to fail her. Rose wasn’t wrong and they both knew it. She couldn’t let herself fall because she didn’t want to hurt, not again. 

“Seems to me like I’m exactly right. There’s no shame in it Rey. It’s okay to feel things.” Rose’s tone was much quieter now, trying to make sure her friend didn’t cage up completely as she asked her to face her feelings. 

“It’s not that I feel shame in it,” Rey spoke slowly, as though she was struggling to even admit the words to herself nevermind her best friend. 

“Then what is it? If I were you, I’d be cartwheeling around the room like the cat that got the cream if a tall, dark and handsome American musician was interested in me.” If Rose was good at anything, it was making her laugh even in the times when she didn’t feel like even cracking a smile. But the laughter died on her lips after a few moments. 

“I’m… I.” 

“You’re scared?” Rose finished, her voice inflection made it clear it was a question. 

“Rose, all that’s going to happen is we’re both going to end up getting hurt,” Rey told her helplessly as she sat down at the bottom of her bed, letting herself fall backwards on to her duvet with a huff. 

“Okay, so say you’re right.” Rose spoke you after a few moments, clearly ready to state a point she wasn’t prepared for. 

“I feel like you’re going to say something I’m not going to like but, go on,” Rey grumbled, rolling her eyes as she mentally prepared herself. 

“Don’t you owe him the chance to say a proper goodbye? He walked away from you under the assumption he was going to see you again so he could say goodbye properly. So if you don’t go, you’re not giving him the chance. And I  _ know _ if the roles were reversed, you’d be pissed.” Rose’s reason really put things into perspective for her; she was beginning to realise her not going to the concert was purely selfish. She owed Ben more than that. Whether she liked it or not, they had a connection and she owed him more than a ghosting.

“I really don’t like you right now,” Rey groaned as she sat up, springing to her feet and headed to her closet. 

“Because I’m right?” The smirk on her best friend’s face was practically audible. 

“Yes.” A simple answer but she wasn’t going to give her anything more; she couldn’t swallow her pride  _ that _ much. 

“I nearly always am so you should be used to it by now. Now, go finish getting ready! You’ve got a hot music man waiting for you… I can’t wait for you to hear him.” Rey was barely even listening as she did her best to think of what to wear. 

“Alright, talk later.” She was about to hang up when she heard Rose’s voice once again. 

“I want  _ every  _ detail tomorrow! Do you understand!” 

“Yes ma’am!” She confirmed, hanging up before she could say anything else.

Rey glanced at her watch. It was 7:30pm. Doors had already been open for half an hour but luckily, Ben told her he didn’t go on stage until 9pm. Still, it didn’t give her a lot of time to make herself look presentable and she was sure Ben was already wondering if she was even going to come. It was that thought that spurred her on and she yanked the doors to her closet open to decide what to wear. 

And there she stood for what seemed like an eternity. In reality, it was probably only ten minutes but she had discarded more options of outfits then she cared to count. Rey didn’t want to be too fancy and yet she felt as though jean and a shirt was far too casual. She stepped forward and practically stuck her head into the closet in the search for something she had perhaps forgotten about. Sure enough, she pulled out a little black dress that had sat in the depths of her wardrobe, long forgotten. After deciding it was the right choice, she threw it on the bed before dashing for what would potentially become the world’s fastest shower. 

It didn’t take long for Rey to be hopping out the basin and to be wrapped in a towel as she tried to sort out her hair. Eventually she settled on pulling her shoulder length hair into a bun and attached a few bobby pins for good measure. Her makeup was simple enough with just a little foundation, swipe of eyeliner, mascara and a lip balm.

Rey tossed off her towel as she entered her bedroom again, walking over to the bed where she had laid out her outfit. She slipped on clean underwear and some black semi-opaque tights before pulling on her dress, adjusting it as it fell below her knee. The finishing touches were a belt with a delicate buckle and some periwinkle blue Nike sneakers. 

She glanced at the time as she was finished spraying some perfume and nearly had a stroke. 8:30pm. 

“Holy shit,” she hissed as she frantically ran for her handbag that looked like a slice of watermelon, grabbed it and dashed out the door.

She reached her yellow Vespa and managed to manoeuver the helmet onto her head. Even with her driving, she would be very close to missing Ben going on stage. She turned the key and let the engine roar to life before taking off down the road doing a  _ little  _ over the speed limit. 

After slipping onto the pavement to avoid some red lights and using a pedestrian street to avoid a traffic jam, Rey was flying around the back of the building to the door Ben had told her about. In her hurry, she nearly killed a security guard who was standing by the road enjoying a cigarette. 

“Sorry!” she exclaimed as she pulled off her helmet and locked it, and the Vespa up, “I’m-”

“You’re Rey right?” the security guard cut her off as brushed himself off after his near death experience.

“Yes but how did you-” 

“The boss told us that if a girl on a bright yellow vespa flew around the corner and nearly killed someone, then it was Rey and he’s expecting you,” he explained after stopping her mid sentence once again. 

“He’s hilarious,” she told him flatly as she let the man guide her to the door.

“But he  _ was  _ right,” he chuckled in response as he walked with her down the corridor to where she assumed backstage was, “He’s not quite on yet so you’re in luck. Take a right at the end and you’ll be in the backstage area. Enjoy.” 

Rey barely even had the time to thank him before he set off back in the direction he had come. No doubt to enjoy the cigarette she had interrupted. She sucked in a breath as followed the directions to the letter. Her pace slowed a little as her heart sped up; she could hear the chanting from the crowd who waited, even through walls. 

_ Kylo Ren! Kylo Ren! Kylo Ren! Kylo Ren!  _

Who the hell was Kylo Ren? 

She barely had time to process her own question as she came into the backstage area. Ben stood with his back to her, his head hanging slightly as a young black man with kind eyes seemed to be comforting him. Not a second later the man locked eyes with her and a big smile split his face as he spoke to the tall, dark haired musician and pointed in her direction.

Not even a second later and Ben had whipped around to look in her direction, his dark eyes meeting her hazel ones. A gentle smile crossed her face as he walked towards her. 

“Ben.” she murmured softly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope enjoy this! Sorry for the wait!


End file.
